Quote from: Trapper6L on January 25 2019 05:38:50 PM MST
Trouble is I have too much crap. I have a garage full of tools, a reloading room full of tools, and a shop full of tools. I have several of everything, I think. One of the torches is still in the plastic wrap retail package- I've never used it.

I hear ya.  I spent the morning looking for a new in box welding helmet I bought on sale a year or two back.  I want to do some welding today and one of my son's wants to learn.  I can only find my one ratty old helmet.

Looks like I driving over to harbor freight to buy another of something I know I have!

I swear years ago I read SOMETHING about MG 9mm ammo having tough brass, thicker but mangy or something.........

Look inside the cases. Any chance you've encountered any with stepped brass? Maxxtech and Ammoload are examples of offending headstamps. Total crap.

Good photo of one here.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?375549-The-mother-of-all-stepped-9-mm-brass-cases

Edited to add: WCC brass is good stuff. Not an example of stepped brass. If your issues occur with this brass, then something else is mechanically going on. It's not the brass.

Hey Trapper, did you ever figure out what was the cause of this?

Never did find out what the deal is. I had 2 other guys that are old like me that have been competition shooters too to look at it. They scratched their head like me. I also tried different bullets but still wouldn't load. Yeah, I'm aware of stepped brass and there was a few of those mixed in with this batch of brass. My nephew was an armorer in the Army and I asked him about MG 9mm brass. He said it's all the same as the brass isn't subject to extreme pressures in a 9mm round, even in a machine gun. No where near the 64,000 PSI limit of the brass cases. But yes, MG ammo is hotter just not hot enough to need heavier brass. I have a bud that is the machinist at the family gun shop. He's always into custom chamberings and does reloading for the 1 mile rifles he builds. I'm going to have him look at it next time I'm in his neighborhood.

Has that die worked for other 9mm brass?  Possibly the wrong die?  The reason I bring it up is there are dies for 9mm, 380ACP, 9mm Makarov,  9mm Largo...
It has to be frustrating, but usually 9mm luger/parabellum is fairly easy to load for.  If it is not the incorect seater/crimp die try the following...

The seater/crimp die may be closing the casing before the bullet can enter the casing.  Try backing the die out (raising the die body higher) and then adjust the seater plug deeper to see if it will seat the bullet.
The inside of the die is tapered and also has the taper crimp section as well, if the casing is encountering the crimp section. it could close the expanded case mouth and prevent the bullet from seating.

I think the biggest clue is that you couldn't really crush the case mouth with 8" pliers. Makes me wonder if those weren't made of a brass alloy similar to what Henry makes their frames out of.

Thanks for the quick response. I hope you get it figured out.